The Department of Statistics reported that food and nonalcoholic beverages, which comprise nearly 30% of the consumer-price index, climbed 1.8% year-over-year. Core inflation, stripping away volatile fresh-food costs and government-administered prices, tracked at 1.7%. On a monthly basis, prices nudged up 0.1%, a moderation from the 0.3% uptick observed in August.

Despite these figures, Apex Securities analyst To Zheng Hong cautioned that inflation risks remain tilted to the upside. Elevated Brent crude prices, driven by instability in the Middle East, threaten to inflate domestic transport costs. Furthermore, rising procurement and shipping expenses continue to present a persistent threat to broader price stability in the coming months.